I was rear ended and the vehicle hit my rt rear tire hard. The alignment shop says the thrust angle is out of limits. They tried to get it close but it pulls hard still. Can the housing be straightened out or should I shop for another differential? The thrust angle is only out .014.

 

This is a cost thing. Call around for rear axle assemblies in your local junk yards and see what a replacement costs. Compare that cost with the labor of welding up a special fixture to correct the bend with heat. My guess would be about 8 hrs. to correct the bend/twist. In both cases removal, disassembly and re-assembly will be required in addition to the straightening or purchase cost.

 

insurance should get a new one for you!!!

 

absolutely

 

Thanks for the info! I received a settlement from my insurance minus the $1000 deductible. The at-fault driver was unlicensed, uninsured. I have been using the settlement money for medical bills. I wish I had uninsured motorist and personal injury protection......
I saw on Ebay some used differentials, around $800 w/shipping. My truck is the Calif. model with a 10.5" vs. the 11.5" differential. Are they interchangeable?

 

The smaller gear may have a smaller universal joint and longer driveshaft than the 11.5

 

I had the same thing happen to my truck while parked, except the responsible car was actually a stolen vehicle. I took the insurance money and swapped in a complete used rear axle. The damage to the axle housing was only apparent when put on an alignment rack, it looked OK to the naked eye.